In Week Two of the London Games, TODAY Grows in Total Viewers and Key Demo V. Last Week, While GMA Drops in Both Categories

In Week One of the Games, TODAY Posts Biggest Single-Day Advantage Over GMA In Nearly 4 Years (Beijing Olympics)

For Weeks One and Two of the Games, TODAY Grows Its Gap Over GMA Compared to Same Time Periods in Beijing

LONDON – August 9, 2012 - NBC’s TODAY has won ratings gold with Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Natalie Morales broadcasting live from Olympic Park in London. Based on Nielsen national fast program ratings for this week (Monday, August 6 – Wednesday, August 8) TODAY is averaging 6.056 million viewers, +39% (+1.710 million) ahead of GMA’s 4.345 million. In A25-54, TODAY is averaging a 2.1 (2.491 million), +7 tenths ahead of GMA (+877,000). TODAY is up versus the same Mon-Wed period last week by +4% (+246,000) in total viewers and +1 tenth in rating A25-54 (+65,000). GMA is down -2% (-87,000) in total viewers and by -1 tenth in the demo (-76,000).

This week, TODAY has grown +4% in total viewers (+245,000) over the same days last week, and has increased its advantage gap over GMA by an additional +8% (+321,000). Compared to the same week-over-week lift that TODAY gained in Beijing, TODAY’s second week in London has increased by +15 percentage points. On Monday of this week, TODAY averaged 6.349 million total viewers, +1.920 million (+43%) ahead of GMA marking TODAY’s second best single-day total viewer delivery (behind last Friday’s 6.452 million) since May 2, 2011 (day following death of Bin Laden).

For last week, the first week of the Games, according to official Nielsen ratings, TODAY posted its biggest total viewer audience since the week of November 7, 2011 while posting its largest advantage over GMA since the week of February 22, 2010 (second week of Vancouver Winter Olympics). On Friday, August 3, TODAY delivered its biggest single-day audience since May 2, 2011. Friday was also the program’s biggest single-day gap over GMA since August 21, 2008 (second week of Beijing Summer Olympics). TODAY had its best key demo A25-54 over GMA in a year and a half.

Compared to the same week-over-week lift that TODAY gained in Beijing, TODAY’s first week in London increased by 8 percentage points (from 31 to 39%). TODAY’s week-to-week gains during its first week at the London Olympics outperformed similar week one growth at both Beijing (2008) and Athens (2004)

Below are the highlights for last week:

· TODAY averaged 5.965 million total viewers, outperforming Good Morning America by +37% (+1,606,000) and leading CBS This Morning by +165% (+3,714,000).

· TODAY has now been the #1 morning news program in total viewers for 861 of the past 869 weeks.

· This was TODAY’s best rating A25-54 delivery since the week of February 27, 2012 and biggest gap over GMA (+7 tenths) since the week of February 28, 2011.

· TODAY has now won 901 straight weeks in rating A25-54.

· In the A25-54 (000) demo, TODAY averaged 2.497 million viewers, leading GMA by +855,000 (+52%) and CBS This Morning by +1,644,000 (+193%).

· TODAY posted its largest A25-54 (000) audience since the week of February 13, 2012 and largest advantage over GMA since the week of January 10, 2011.

· In rating A18-49, TODAY led GMA by +67% (+6 tenths) and CBS This Morning by +275% (+1.1 rating points).

· TODAY has now won 930 consecutive weeks in rating A18-49.

· TODAY’s week-to-week gains during its first week at the London Olympics outperformed similar week one growth at both Beijing (2008) and Athens (2004) in homes, total viewers, rating W18-49, and rating W/A25-54.

· Versus the same week last season, TODAY was up in homes (+21%), total viewers (+16%, or +829,000), rating W/M/A18-49 (+18%/+22%/+15%), and rating W/M/A25-54 (+13%/+25%/+17%) while widening its advantage over GMA in all ratings categories.

· TODAY increased over its season-to-date averages in homes (+18%), total viewers (+15%, or +793,000), rating W/M/A18-49 (+11%/+22%/+7%), and rating W/M/A25-54 (+8%/+15%/+11%) while extending its lead over GMA in all ratings categories.

GMA and Robin are great! The whole ABC team is fabulous. Pray Savannah Guthrie sticks around putting a nail in the today shows coffin, while increasing good morning America’s viewers! If Ann Curry were still on NBC, she’d be giving GMA a real run for their money. NBC’s Steve Capus and Jim Bell did NOT think off their noses when they so bloodily deep-sixed Ann Curry. Way to go GMA I am now a loyal fan!